We all know majik as something that we, as conscious beings, make
happen. Does that mean that humans are the only conscious beings? I think not! The Native
American Peoples have long thought that everything from the wind blowing across the land,
to the ants and animals foraging for food, to the grass that grows on the plains, to the
Earth itself has a consciousness. We as Pagans share their belief that the Earth is a
living, breathing entity. Does that mean that the Earth creates majik? Yes, I believe that
it does. I intend to look at majik made by the Earth in this forum. We see evidence of the
Earth's majik everyday. The majik I'm talking about here is held in small chunks the whole
world over: Stones. Each issue I plan to look
closely at a couple different stones. Together we will explore their properties,
associations, and majikal uses. I thought that we would begin our quest by looking at a
couple of stones that we can find right here in Arizona, since this is where we are
located. Southern Arizona has long been rich in copper mines. If you are feeling
adventurous, many of the Copper mines in Southern
Arizona are accessible to the public and often give tours. If you tour any of the mines,
keep an eye out, you never know what you might find! What some folks don't know is that
where you find Copper, you also find two other
beautiful, & powerful majikal items as well. Azuriteand
Malachiteare by products of Coppermines all over the world.

Azurite is a beautiful blue stone that
can be seen in various forms. Many times you will see Azurite
in small powdery looking nodes, balls, or nodules. If you break open one of these nodes,
you may find exquisite dark blue crystals. When you shine a light on these crystals you
may think that you are looking into the clearest, darkest, starry night's sky you have
every seen.

Hold a piece in your receptive hand, not the hand you write with.
Concentrate on the stone, can you feel the water washing over you?I have found Azurite to be particularly
effective when working on emotional healing. Its' blue color also corresponds to the
throat chakra. Could that mean, that it enables the user to find their own voice to
facilitate in their own healing process.

Malachite is a stone whose color spans
the entire spectrum of all the greens, from the most delicate seafoam green to the deepest
hunter green. It is also known for its rings that resemble the growth rings of a tree. Malachite is a stone that is frequently used for carvings of small
figures, hearts, pyramids, and totems. Malachite is most
often used in prosperity workings because it is the same color as money. It is also a
perfect stone to use for the protection of a child. You could use several small pieces in
a protection ritual and then sew them into the lining of a child's' coat or backpack, so
that they could carry it with them. That can help you to create more peace of mind as
well. Many find the deeper green colors to be very soothing, so this is a stone that is
conducive to meditation.

It also corresponds to the heart chakra and can be used in love
majik. I have found it works well in growth spells. I carry a small piece of Malachite near my wallet to protect my money as it grows. In
Arizona Malachite and Azurite
form together, creating the hybrid we have come to know as Azurmalachite.
Because it is actually both stones combined, it will share all the characteristics of
both. You might find it is a perfect stone to use to heal your finances. Since all of
these great stones come to us from the copper mines, it only seems appropriate that we
take a quick look at what else Copper can do for us.

Copper is well known for its ability to
conduct electricity in the mundane, everyday world. Why then shouldn't we take advantage
of that and use it to channel our Psychic, Majikal, and Healing energies. Copper is one of the first metals associated with the Goddess. It
has been used in jewelry for healing, and protection from injury/illness. Several cultures
have used it for currency throughout the ages. I use it regularly in my prosperity
workings in conjunction with Malachite. Since it's planetary
connection is Venus it is also used in love majik.

Now that we know a little more about Azurite,Malachite, Azurmalachite., and Copper. Lets look at the Care and Feeding of our new friends. I
tend to look upon acquiring new stones and minerals as if I were adopting a new member of
the family. (No pet rock jokes please!)

The first thing that you should do once you bring your new treasures
home is to Cleanse them. You never know what they have picked up on their way to
you. My favorite way to Cleanse a new stone is with salt & water. I like to
bury my stones in a container filled with sea salt over night and then gently rinse in
spring water. Once all of the salt has been rinsed away place them in the sun to dry. This
allows them to begin to soak up pure positive energy from the sun.

After a stone has been cleansed you now have a stone that you can Program.You can Program your stones one of two ways. You can sit quietly
and wait for the stone to tell you how it wants to be used. You can slip the stone into
your pillow case at night if you wish, to see if it will talk to you in your dreams. This
process may take a little more time but is definitely worth the wait. The other way to Program
your stone is to tell it what you want it to do while you anoint it with the appropriate
oil for the job. Both approaches are valid, do what works for you.

Now we are ready to Feed our stones. Just because stones
don't chow down a burger & fries, doesn't mean that they don't have the same needs
that we do. When we eat food we are really ingesting calories. A calorie is the scientific
measurement of energy provided by food. We eat food so that we will have enough energy to
last us until we eat again. Stones need energy as well. To Feed your new stones,
place them somewhere they can sit undisturbed for a few hours in the light of the full
moon. This will enable your stones to soak up plenty of life giving energy to get them
through until the moon is full again. Imagine how hungry you would be if you only ate once
a month.

Now that your stones have been Cleansed, Programmed, and have had
Food it is time to put them to work. Stones can be used in every type of majikal
working you can imagine. One of their best attributes is that they are portable and can go
anywhere. I carry them in my pocket, purse, and car for various effects. I encourage you
to see haw many uses you can find for the stones you already have. If you don't have any
stones I urge you to take a trip to More Than Pretty Rocks and see what follows you
home.

Until next time, Blessed Be! Storm Ryan

Author's Note:More Than Pretty Rocks is located at 302 E Flower, Phoenix, AZ
(Just south of Osborn), call them for their hours of operation and schedule of events,
(602) 241-1302.